Just Short of Glacial
by Invaderk
Summary: [KataraxAang][Oneshot] After exchanging some very well chosen words in an argument, Aang musters up the courage to apologize.


A/N: I was feeling in a sort of fluffy mood, so I whipped this up. I actually thought of it in the grocery store, where I seem to think up a lot of ideas.

Also, this is an official pimp for the poorly drawn comic I drew about this dream I had. I was going to write it, but it's an 'episode' of Avatar and would therefore take me forever to write, and I simply don't have that time or dedication. So I used stick figures. xD Use the link below, but substitute the (dot)s for actual dots. Then, once you're on the page, click the CLICK HERE and it'll pop up. :D

www(dot)freewebs(dot)com/invaderk/avatar(dot)htm

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Happy Reading!

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Just Short of Glacial

"Katara?"

Yes, Katara had been giving him the cold shoulder all day, but the reaction Aang received on his first real attempt to talk to her was just short of glacial. It probably would have better if she'd at least crossed her arms or pouted or even moved, but she remained perfectly still with her back to him. Aang sighed. Perhaps he should just keep talking.

"Listen Katara, I know we had a bad day," he began in what he had hoped was a comforting voice, but what sounded more as if he wished he could run. And he did, he really did. "But I want to talk about it."

Still Katara didn't turn, didn't make any notion that he was on the same planet as her, never mind the same ice shelf. After the disaster at Ba Sing Se, they had decided to head back to the North Pole to reorganize their plans. Unfortunately, a storm had forced them to land, and for the next day or so they were stuck.

Aang shot a tentative glance over his shoulder to see if Sokka, Toph, or the King were to be seen; only Appa and Bosco were in his keen line of sight. With a sigh, he took a few more steps toward Katara and thought about what to say. They had fought earlier in the day about the best plan of action for the time being. While Aang had wanted to trek on towards the North Pole at all costs, Katara had countered that they should land until the upcoming storm passed. Toph, Sokka, and the King had all watched as the shouting match had gone back and fourth with growing intensity until both Aang and Katara had said nasty things that Aang knew neither of them had really meant. In the end, Aang had angrily suggested that, since she didn't want to do as he wanted, he might as well leave her at the North Pole. She had shot back that she didn't want to travel with him anymore anyway, and that she and Sokka would remain at the North Pole when Aang left. At this point, Sokka had tried to intervene, but Katara had Bended his feet to the ground and his mouth shut, and he had fallen silent as Katara and Aang had stomped off in opposite directions. They hadn't spoken for the rest of the day.

"We said some things we didn't mean," he began, not taking his eyes off the woman in front of him. She was wearing her heavy parka to keep warm, but Aang had never had a problem with freezing temperatures. Maybe it was living in the high altitudes of the windy Southern Air Temple that had brought this adaptation about. "Or... well, I didn't mean what I said. I don't want you to stay at the North Pole."

When he still received no reaction, he sighed and closed his eyes. If she wasn't going to accept a simple apology, then what would she accept? A confession? The thought itself made his insides do a flip-flop, mostly because every time he'd tried to tell her he had been either interrupted or she had not been paying attention. But now, with the two of them alone out here, it seemed that he had found the perfect opportunity. And he _knew_ that she was listening to him, whether or not she was reacting to a word he said, so why not? What was the worst thing that could happen besides rejection?

Shoulders squared, Aang took a deep breath and walked forward, each step leaving a shallow footprint in the inch of snow that had begun to fall. When he was beside her, he flopped backwards and Airbended himself into a cross-legged sitting position. Katara, her face expressionless as she stared out across the sea, didn't even move.

"Katara, I _really_ don't want you to stay at the North Pole," he repeated. "I don't want you to go – to go anywhere."

Finally, she moved. He thought that she was going to face him, but she only reached back, grabbed her hood, and pulled it over her head. The hood fell just below her eyes, presumably so that Katara wouldn't have to look at him. Aang frowned.

"Katara," he began again, but stopped talking. A strange sense of confidence came over him then, and he suddenly felt very brave.

Aang rolled up onto his knees, shuffled in front of the young Waterbender, and sat back on his haunches.

"Katara, I have a confession to make," he said. He paused only to shoot a glance over Katara's shoulder to see if the others had returned yet, but nobody was there. He sighed. "I don't know how to put this, so I'll make it as simple as I can." Another pause. "I like you. No, I _love_ you."

Though she didn't respond, he saw her bottom lip tremble the slightest bit. A light blush rose high in her cheeks, one that he thought looked very pretty with the light snow falling around them. This time Aang almost smiled, though any smile would have been a very nervous one. Instead of saying anything, he leaned forward and placed the lightest of kisses on her lips and then pulled back her hood, revealing two very wide eyes just a few inches from his. This time he did smile, though it was, as predicted, a nervous smile.

"Do you mean that, Aang?" she asked. It was the first she'd spoken to him since the argument, and her voice sounded perfect in his ears.

He brushed the tip of his nose against hers, then moved backwards until he was sitting on his haunches again. "Unfortunately."

Katara looked almost surprised. "Why is that unfortunate?" she asked.

He turned his head to the side and answered, "Because you're staying at the North Pole."

A few silent moments passed in which Aang stared at Katara with a blank expression and Katara stared at Aang with her mouth slightly ajar. Then, before he knew what had happened, she'd knocked him backwards in a hug. Her hood flopped over her head again and she let it stay there as she looked down at Aang with a semi self-conscious smile.

She kissed him, just as lightly and with the same innocence that he had kissed her, and rested her forehead on his.

"I'm only going where you're going."

This time Aang was the one looking surprised. "Really?" he asked.

"I wouldn't have it any other way."

-

_Fin._

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A/N: Yes, I realize that this scene bares an uncanny resemblance to the scene in _In Love, Death, and Life_. I tried to make it as different as possible once I realized that it was similar, and I hope it lived to your standards. :D_  
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